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Table of Contents
Corroded Circuits: A Study
Problem Scenario
Everybody knows that robots will take over the world. But for now, we'll settle to use our metallic-skinned friends to do our dirty work: From refueling spaceships and satellites in space, or building cars and manufacturing circuit boards on Earth; to helping Grandma shop (in japan, of course), robots are our emotionless Mike Rowes[1] They are our janitors and street sweepers and garbage truck drivers and chimney sweepers.
They also lend a hand in titanic-finding and sewer-unclogging, where our galvanized G.I.Joes combat dangerous acids, seawater, primordial muck, and other solutions. So it helps not only to know what they're up against, but also to know what our metallic men in the field can withstand.
This experiment showcases what circuit boards can withstand.
And it's not just robots, either. Dropping your cell in the toilet (acidic or basic, depending on how recently it was cleaned) or your iPad in the sea, (acidic) or even leaving your camera in the hot sun for a while so the battery bursts, sending highly acidic battery chemicals and other stuff all over your beloved memories might make you wonder: What is the point of no return for electronic components?
Broad Question
How do different pH levels in liquids affect corrosion of electronic components?Specific Question
Which types of liquid cause more severe damage to electronic circuits: Basic solutions, Neutral solutions, or Acidic solutions?Hypothesis
I hypothesize that the acidic solutions will cause the most severe corrosion to the components, thereby raising the resistance factor in Ohms (Ω).
Graph of Hypothesis
Variables
Independent Variable:
Solution TypeDependent Variable:
Corrosion of components (% of total possible starting Wattage of given circuit lost)Variables That Need To Be Controlled:
Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation
Corrosion;
Corrosion is the gradual destruction of material, usually metals, by chemical reaction with its environment. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen. Rusting, the formation of iron oxides, is a well-known example of electrochemical corrosion. This type of damage typically produces oxide(s) or salt(s) of the original metal. Corrosion can also occur in materials other than metals, such as ceramics or polymers, although in this context, the term degradation is more common. Corrosion degrades the useful properties of materials and structures including strength, appearance and permeability to liquids and gases.[2]
Acid;
An acid (from the Latin acidus/acēre meaning sour) is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH under 7, with acidity increasing the lower the pH. Chemicals or substances having the property of an acid are said to be acidic.[3]
Base;
A base in chemistry is a substance that can accept hydrogen cations (protons) or more generally, donate a pair of valence electrons. A soluble base is referred to as an alkali if it contains and releases hydroxide ions (OH−) quantitatively. The Brønsted-Lowry theory defines bases as proton (hydrogen ion) acceptors, while the more general Lewis theory defines bases as electron pair donors, allowing other Lewis acids than protons to be included.[4]
pH;
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the activity of the (solvated) hydrogen ion. p[H], which measures the hydrogen ion concentration, is closely related to, and is often written as, pH.[1] Pure water has a pH very close to 7 at 25°C. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. The pH scale is traceable to a set of standard solutions whose pH is established by international agreement.[2] Primary pH standard values are determined using a concentration cell with transference, by measuring the potential difference between a hydrogen electrode and a standard electrode such as the silver chloride electrode. Measurement of pH for aqueous solutions can be done with a glass electrode and a pH meter, or using indicators.[5]
Watt;
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI), named after the Scottish engineer James Watt (1736–1819). The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion or transfer.(Multiplying Voltage by Amperage produces Wattage.)[6]
Volt;
A single volt is defined as the difference in electric potential across a wire when an electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power. It is also equal to the potential difference between two parallel, infinite planes spaced 1 meter apart that create an electric field of 1 newton per coulomb. Additionally, it is the potential difference between two points that will impart one joule of energy per coulomb of charge that passes through it.
The inevitable maths:
(Multiplying Voltage by Amperage produces Wattage.)[7]
Amp;
Also the Ampere, the Amp is a measure of the amount of electric charge passing a point in an electric circuit per unit time with 6.241 × 1018 electrons, or one coulomb per second constituting one ampere (Also 6353.338 electrons.). (Multiplying Voltage by Amperage produces Wattage.)[8]
Ohm;
The ohm is defined as a resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant potential difference of 1 volt, applied to these points, produces in the conductor a current of 1 ampere, the conductor not being the seat of any electromotive force.
Such as otherwise: The ohm defines resistance between two points using the ampere as long as there is no source of energy other than those being applied.
General Plan
The average electronic current for each circuit board will be measured by a voltmeter.The different liquids will be applied to the boards by a set amount of each liquid eye-dropped on to a paper towel which will be applied for a set amount of time, at which point the paper towels will be removed, the boards will be wiped clean with a damp cloth and the average electronic current will be measured by the voltmeter. The paper towels will be replenished and replaced on the boards again. After twice the previous amount of time, the boards will again be wiped clean with a damp cloth and the resistance (or continuity) will be again measured.
Potential Problems And Solutions
The circuits are shot before the experiment commences.
Nothing goes to plan.
I can't think of another thing that might go wrong.
Safety Or Environmental Concerns
Acids and Bases can burn and severely damage human skin. Careful precautions should be taken when handling Acidic and Basic liquids.Acids and bases can be harmful to the environment. Take precautions when disposing of hazardous waste, such as highly concentrated acids or bases, which may also harm wildlife and plants.
Experimental Design
What is your experimental unit?
Controlled, manipulated experiment.Number Of Trials:
Getting procedure details...Number Of Subjects In Each Trial:
Getting procedure details...Number of Observations:
When data will be collected
2/4/2013--1/3/2013Where will data be collected?:
At Kennett Middle School, and at home.Resources and Budget Table
Detailed Procedure
Read all instructions thoroughly before starting trials.
Please Note
It should be said that the "Pure" water we talk about is just tap water from which all the chlorine, chemicals and things have come off of. Therefore, it is "purer' than than the tap water which came directly from the tap.The "Lemon" juice is actually rather old, rancid lemon juice, and is therefore likely more acidic than that of, say, new, edible lemon juice.
Diagram
Photo List
Circuit Boards
Procedeure
Voltmeter Readout
Time Line
Data Table
Data Analysis
All Raw Data
All collected data is displayed here, under the Creative Commons/GNU Public Property licences applicable to this page.Solution
Photos
Results
These figures are the averages of the Raw Data for each separate treatment. I don't like raw data because, like raw meat, it is hard to chew on. So, have some nice, cooked, marinated data. Would you like fries with that?The averages show that only the acidic solutions did actual damage. The baking soda solution did some collateral, but not as much as the vinegar. All other solutions did absolutely noting.
Solution
Conclusion
The conclusion we can draw from these averages is that the vinegar, the most acidic solution, caused the most resistance. This conclusion supports my hypothesis in that the acidic solutions did the most damage. This would cause the device to almost definitely cease to work properly. So, my hypothesis was correct! The vinegar, the most destructive of the acids, did (as expected) the most corrosive damage. In other news, the bleach did surprisingly less damage than was expected.From this conclusion, we can reflect that, actually, modern electronics are actually some pretty tough stuff. So, if you drop you Macbook in the sea or phone in the toilet, don't be too worried about your hard drive or your massive texting history: it's what happens when you flush that I am not going to investigate. Especially in a science fair project.
Discussion
Benefit to Community and/or Science
How could this not affect the community or science? It affects everyone with an electronic device of any kind, and as I said before, it shows scientists what liquids circuits should be shielded from. Of course, this isn't groundbreaking, but it is helpful.
Background Research
References
Abstract
Afraid of what will happen to your precious data if you ever dropped your laptop in the sea?Well, as it turns out, unless it's a sea of vinegar (or baking soda), your data should be OK. (Just give it a couple hours to dry out.) This experiment has shown that, with a combination of being submerged and being open to air, component boards are actually pretty durable. As long as it's not vinegar.
12 circuit boards were treated with a separate solution for each, and then were given a total of 10 days to corrode. Not all of the time was spent in the liquids, though, About 25-30% of that time was spent airing out. This is when the actual corrosion happened.
Actually, beginning this I thought I could dip them in for an hour or so. Instead, it took faaar longer than expected. Absolutely NOTHING was corroded after less than two days. Chances are, you'll pick up your laptop right away. It'll be okay, as long as you wipe it off and shake it out, etc.
I can't help you if the current carries it away.